PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Sex: Female Menopausal status: Postmenopausal Performance status: ECOG 0-1 Life expectancy: At least 12 weeks Hematopoietic: Hemoglobin at least 9 g/dL Platelet count at least 100,000/mm3 WBC at least 2,000/mm3 Hepatic: AST and ALT no greater than 2.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) Bilirubin no greater than 2.5 times ULN Renal: Creatinine no greater than 2.0 mg/dL Other: No significant neurological dysfunction including seizures or clinical signs of other significant neurological diseases No other active malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix No contraindication to toremifene or its excipients or any of the excipients in atamestane Not pregnant or nursing